Outdoors · Oslo · Norway
8 best outdoor things to do in Oslo
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
Start with Vigeland Park, Akershus Fortress and Royal Palace and Palace Park. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–19 hours across 7 areas; 6 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 6
- Time to see them all
- 12–19 hours
- Areas
- Frogner, Sentrum and Bygdøy
Outdoors in Oslo
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Park · Frogner
1.Vigeland Park
Come early on a summer morning or in soft evening light, when the bridge statues are free of tour groups.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Art
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Photo spot
Castle · Sentrum
2.Akershus Fortress
Walk the ramparts on the harbour side at sunset, then drop down to the waterfront promenade towards Aker Brygge.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
Palace · Sentrum
3.Royal Palace and Palace Park
Stand by the palace front just before 1:30pm for the guard change, then walk downhill along Karl Johans gate.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Outdoors
Museum · Bygdøy
4.Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
Start at the stave church before the crowds arrive, then let children loose among the farm buildings.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Architecture
Waterfront · Aker Brygge
5.Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen waterfront
Walk the promenade in the evening and swim or dip your feet at the Tjuvholmen beach in July and August.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Food
- Views
Nature · Grünerløkka
6.Akerselva river walk
Take tram 11 or 12 up to Kjelsås and walk back downstream; the stretch between Nydalen and Grünerløkka has the best waterfalls.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Off the beaten path
- Active
Park · Ekeberg
7.Ekebergparken Sculpture Park
Take the tram from Jernbanetorget up Ekebergveien, walk the park downhill and finish at the viewpoint above the Opera House.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Views
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Island · Oslofjord
8.Oslofjord islands
Pack a picnic and swimsuit; island cafés are few and close early outside high summer.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
- History
- Couples
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Frogner | Vigeland Park | 1–2 hours |
| Sentrum | Akershus Fortress and Royal Palace and Palace Park | 1–2 hours + 45 minutes |
| Bygdøy | Norwegian Museum of Cultural History | 2–3 hours |
| Aker Brygge | Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen waterfront | 1–2 hours |
| Grünerløkka | Akerselva river walk | 2–3 hours |
| Ekeberg | Ekebergparken Sculpture Park | 1.5–2 hours |
| Oslofjord | Oslofjord islands | Half a day |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 6 free, 1 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Royal Palace and Palace Park. The longest visit is Oslofjord islands; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Royal Palace and Palace Park: Summer interior tours have limited places; buy tickets ahead if you want to go inside.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Frogner and Sentrum): Vigeland Park → Akershus Fortress → Royal Palace and Palace Park, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Bygdøy and Aker Brygge): Norwegian Museum of Cultural History → Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen waterfront, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Grünerløkka and Ekeberg): Akerselva river walk → Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Oslofjord): Oslofjord islands, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- June: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 10 rainy days, busy crowds. Nearly 19 hours of daylight around midsummer, outdoor festivals and the start of fjord swimming.
- July: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 11 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warmest month and peak tourist season, though many locals are away on holiday and some restaurants close for a few weeks.
- May: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Long, fresh days and blossoming parks; island ferries step up their timetables.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen — Former shipyard turned glassy waterfront of restaurants, galleries and fjord ferries
- Grünerløkka — Old workers' district by the Akerselva river with cafés, vintage shops and bars around Olaf Ryes plass
- Frogner and Majorstuen — Elegant west-end apartment streets, Vigeland Park and the Bogstadveien shopping street
More of Oslo
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Oslo?
Vigeland Park. Inside Frogner Park, Gustav Vigeland's sculpture installation lays out more than 200 bronze, granite and wrought-iron figures along a central axis, from the bridge with the much-photographed Angry Boy (Sinnataggen) to the 14-metre Monolith of intertwined bodies.
+Which of these are free in Oslo?
Vigeland Park, Akershus Fortress, Royal Palace and Palace Park, Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen waterfront, Akerselva river walk and Ekebergparken Sculpture Park.